ist,
like Uncle Clair; and when he knew that she too could use her pencil a
little, and loved pictures a great deal, he might be kinder to her.

CHAPTER III.--AN UNEXPECTED GUEST.

Three months passed away, and Agnes Rivers was feeling quite at home in
her uncle's house. She had lost much of her nervous shyness, but except
with Mrs. Mittens she was very quiet and reserved. She was a little
afraid of her uncle, as were the whole family; a little in awe of Eddie
too, who was still somewhat stately and grand in his manner; and she
always had an uncomfortable sort of feeling that Bertie was kind to her
just because she was little and weak, and his cousin.

But on the whole she was happy and contented. She ran about the park and
gardens all the morning, did no lessons whatever, and amused herself
sketching all the pretty bits of scenery, huge trees on the lawn, or
Mrs. Mittens' dog and cat, called Punch and Judy, who lived the most
useless, indolent, amiable life imaginable in the housekeeper's room.
She could hit off likenesses, too, in quite a startling way, and Eddie
said he would give her some lessons in painting if she wished. Agnes was
enthusiastic in her thanks for what was, after all, but a trifling
service, and while the lessons lasted Bertie was rather glum, as he had
to ramble about alone, and amuse himself as best he could. But Eddie
very soon grew tired of a pupil who after three lessons far excelled the
teacher, and as a change, proposed teaching her German. Agnes consented,
as she would have done to any plan or project of Eddie's. But that
course of instruction also came to an untimely end; perhaps Agnes was a
little dull, certainly Eddie was impatient. And then Bertie had his
turn: he taught his cousin how to play chess, to spin tops, play cricket
(theoretically), regretting every minute that she was not big and strong
like Lillie Mayson, the doctor's daughter--the doctor who kept the
grammar-school, not the one who came to see them when they were ill.

Once or twice Mrs. Mittens suggested to the master that some one should
come and teach Miss Agnes, saying that the child was left too much alone
during the day, as the boys went to school every morning. But Mr. Rivers
shook his head impatiently. "Leave the child alone; let her eat and
sleep and run wild till she's stronger. She ought not to be dull in
Riversdale."

Nor was she. How could any one with a deep instinctive love of Nature be
dull, or lonely,